MacKenzie McHale
| residence = | education = | affiliation = News Night | profession = Executive Producer | father = | mother = | siblings = | marital = | spouse = | children = | sigothers = Will McAvoy (ex-boyfriend) | others = | actor = Emily Mortimer | seasons = 1 | firstseen = | lastseen = }}MacKenzie McHale, commonly called "Mac", is the executive producer of News Night. Biography Early life Although MacKenzie was born to British parents, she was born in America during their time spent there. Reporting career In 2005, Will McAvoy and MacKenzie began dating. During their time together, Will took her father to an Orioles game. Her father later offered Will a pint, but they ended up having three. Will and MacKenzie's father met up with her and her mother, both of them drunk. In 2007, Mac and Will broke up after she had cheated on him with her ex-boyfriend. This broke his heart, as he loved MacKenzie very dearly. It was only after that she cheated on him, that she realized she, too, loved him. News Night News Night 2.0 When Will arrived at work, MacKenzie informed him that she was holding a meeting with the staff regarding the new plan for News Night, which she called News Night 2.0. Will and MacKenzie entered a briefing room where they began the meeting with the staff. MacKenzie began presenting her plan on a whiteboard. On air apology Following the disastrous broadcast Will prepared and issued an on air apology for his failings as Managing Editor of News Night. He pledged to do better in reporting the news to inform the electorate. Mac welcomed the move and helped Will to craft the speech, including a rehearsal in front of their staff. The apology aired at the opening of the show on Monday, April 26, 2010. Times Square bombing attempt On Saturday, May 1, 2010 a bombing attempt in Times Square, New York City is diffused without casualties after street vendors report a smoking vehicle to the police. On Monday, May 3, 2010 the perpetrator Faisal Shahzad is arrested at John F. Kennedy airport. At a News Night staff meeting on Tuesday, May 4, 2010, they decide not to criticize the system which successfully caught the would be terrorist bomber when he was boarding the plane. Despite the failure of the airline to update their files in time to recognize that he had been added to a no fly list a second line of checks by Customs and Border Protection led to his successful arrest and Jim characterizes this as the system working. They agree to cover the story in just 3 minutes at the opening of their program and not to sensationalize the arrest or the religious beliefs of Shahzad. Maggie brings up international coverage of the story during the meeting and explains that while t-shirt vendor Lance Orton contacted the police it was a Senegalese Muslim immigrant who first noticed the smoking vehicle. He asked Orton to contact the authorities because he was concerned but did not want his poor English to garble the message. Maggie successfully argues that if the religion of the bomber is relevant then so is the religion of the man that saved hundreds of lives. News Night is one of the few American networks to report that the danger was first recognized by the Muslim street vendor. Behind the scenes Mac is a major character in the first season. She is played by starring cast member Emily Mortimer and debuts in the series pilot "We Just Decided To". Appearances See also *MacKenzie McHale at the Official HBO Site Category:Characters Category:Females Category:News Night Staff Category:Atlantic Cable News employees Category:Americans